Page 4 of Raise Me Up

I sneak a look at her. Is it weird to think she’s pretty when she looks like her brother? Is it weird to think he’s pretty, too? Do I only feel that way because they’re being nice to me?

My stomach does a flip when she meets my gaze. I’m not sure what this feeling is expanding inside me, but it feels like something big. It feels like something that could fill the hole in my chest.

Shuffling on the roof has me ripping my hand out of hers. I turn my head in time to see Hail coming over the peak with a red plastic net of popsicles swinging from his hand. He sits down beside me and rips a blue popsicle open with his teeth. When he hands it to me, I end up sucking it down before he gets a red one open for his sister.

“Good, huh?” Hail grins, fetching me another one.

Can a broken soul be healed with sugary flavored ice? Or is this the magic of the Koval twins at work?

“Hey, Liam?”

“Hmm?” I glance over at Hail, a lime green popsicle still dangling from my mouth.

“You should sleep over tonight.”

My chest tightens at his serious expression. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more. If I could, I’d stay in this bubble of peace with them forever. I’d never go home.

I peek at Stasi as she tips her popsicle wrapper above her head to suck out the remaining juice. It almost gets a laugh out of me. Almost.

“Yeah,” I answer quietly. “I’d like that.”

one

Liam

Present Day

There are dozens of local gyms in Uptown. Why the fuck did I have to pick the most distracting one?

As I curl a thirty-pound dumbbell in each tattooed hand, my gaze instinctively seeks out the swish of a long blonde ponytail in the wall of mirrors.

It’s hotter than hell in here tonight. Even with the industrial fans battling the Texas heat, sweat rolls down my spine, sticking the thin fabric of my sleeveless black tank to my chest and abs.

Yet Stasi showed up in thick, baggy layers. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume she’d scooped up some random guy’s clothes off her bedroom floor to rush to the gym.

According to her twin brother, Hail—my best friend and ex-bandmate—Stas is single. And honestly, it’s fucking me up.

I want her inmyclothes. Want her naked inmybed.

Stasi hasn’t noticed me among the hulked out gym crowd, and it’s a bit of a hit to my ego.

As the retired lead guitarist of the popular metal band, Atonement, I can’t remember the last time I had to work to gain anyone’s attention. Not that I’m actively trying to ruin my friendship with her by adding sex to the equation.

But she hasn’t reached out once since I became a permanent resident in the Dallas area.

A cackle of laughter has my attention drifting from her to a group of muscled regulars. The three guys smirk and nod at Stasi as she adds another steel plate onto a barbell.

I set my dumbbells back on the rack. She isn’t lacking sass when it comes to conversations with Hail, but sometimes she gets stuck in her head and questions her voice.

The shorter guy from the group with a leaner build and too much swagger moves in, tugging on the end of her ponytail to get her attention. Anger swims through my veins.

Not your business, Liam.

Last time I intervened in a situation, I almost beat the shit out of some nobody harassing Hail’s boyfriend in a hotel lobby while we were on tour. Took me weeks to shake the fear of who I almost became in those heated seconds. My piece of shit dad is six feet under now, but I still feelhis presence looming over me, pulling invisible strings to manipulate my thoughts and emotions.

With my headphones in, I can’t make out what the guy says, but the furrow between Stasi’s brows tells me she’s not interested.

Body language, fucker.